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The green flag drops on the IndyCar season opener at an empty Texas Motor Speedway on June 6. The series was originally scheduled to begin its season on March 15. Chris Owens, Pool photo via USA TODAY Sports

People on a sideline video board watch the Danish Super League soccer match at Ceres Park in Aarhus, Denmark, on May 28. Fans used Zoom to be a part of the action in the game between AGF and Randers FC. Henning Bagger, AP

Players vie for the ball as fans live on to the screens on the sidelines during soccer match in Aarhus, Denmark on May 28, as the season resumed following a two-month absence due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. HENNING BAGGER, Ritzau Scanpix/AFP via Getty Ima

Cardboard pictures of fans are placed in the stands prior to the German Bundesliga soccer match between Borussia Moenchengladbach and Bayer Leverkusen, in Moenchengladbach, Germany, on May 23. Ina Fassbender, AP

A banner reading "For Borussia, against ghost matches" is displayed during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Borussia Moenchengladbach and Bayer Leverkusen, in Moenchengladbach, Germany, on May 23. Leverkusen won the match, 3-1. Ina Fassbender, AP

Fans of German Bundesliga club Hertha Berlin sit outside at Fraenky sports bar to watch their team play against rival Union Berlin on May 22 in Berlin, Germany. The Bundesliga resumed matches last week, albeit in empty stadiums. Fans are mostly watching the games live from home or at the first pubs that have been allowed to reopen. Sean Gallup, Getty Images

Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson, Rickie Fowler and Matthew Wolff walk down the first fairway during the TaylorMade Driving Relieve Supported By UnitedHealth Group on May 17 at Seminole Golf Club in Juno Beach, Florida. Mike Ehrmann, Getty Images

Cars go through a turn past a sign at Darlington Raceway thanking people working during the coronavirus pandemic. NASCAR, which has been idle for 10 weeks because of the pandemic, made its return with The Real Heroes 400 on May 17. Jenna Fryer, USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Drivers head through a turn in front of an empty grandstand during the NASCAR Cup Series' The Real Heroes 400 at Darlington Raceway on May 17. Jenna Fryer, USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Fans are seen watching the match on Television in a sports bar called J&M during the Bundesliga match between FC Union Berlin and FC Bayern Munich on May 17 in Berlin, Germany. All matches until the end of the season will be played behind closed doors. Boris Streubel, Getty Images

Cheering mannequins are installed in empty seats for the soccer match between FC Seoul and Gwangju FC at the Seoul World Cup Stadium in Seoul, South Korea, on MAy 17. In a statement, FC Seoul expressed "sincere remorse" over the controversy, but insisted that it used mannequins, not sex dolls, to mimic a home crowd during its 1-0 win over Gwangju FC. Ryu Young-suk, AP

South Korea's Park Sung-hyun watches her tee shot on the first hole during the second round of the 42nd KLPGA Championship at Lakewood Country Club in Yangju, South Korea on May 15, 2020. Han Jong-chan, AP

Atlanta United midfielder Gonzalo Martinez gestures during the first day of voluntary individual workouts at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Training Ground in Marietta, Ga. Major League Soccer announced that starting on May 6, players may begin to use outdoor team training fields for individual workouts. Jacob Gonzalez, Handout Photo via Imagn Content Services, LLC

The stands at SK Wyverns club's Happy Dream Ballpark are filled with placards featuring their fans during the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) League opening game between SK Wyverns and Hanwha Eagles at the empty SK Happy Dream Ballpark on May 5 in Incheon, South Korea. Chung Sung-Jun, Getty Images

It started on March 9, long before sports were shut down all over the world. At the University Athletic Association, the group got together to discuss the ramifications of a sinking market and how to handle UAA personnel if the COVID-19 scare turned into a pandemic.

“We had the business continuity group for a long time,” said Chip Howard, the UAA executive associate athletic director who chaired the group. “A pandemic was one of those things but it was very low on the list.

“Then that all started to change in March. Then, it was, ‘If this happens, what do we do?'”

They are voluntary workouts and will start with the football players being brought back for physicals and testing starting May 26, then soccer and volleyball being phased in. In July, the hope is that all of the student-athletes will be able to return for conditioning.

The SEC also issued these guidelines for the return of student-athletes and coaches to campus:

Enhanced education of all team members on health and wellness best practices, including but not limited to preventing the spread of COVID-19.

A 3-stage screening process that involves screening before student-athletes arrive on campus, within 72 hours of entering athletics facilities and on a daily basis upon resumption of athletics activities.

Testing of symptomatic team members (including all student-athletes, coaches, team support and other appropriate individuals).

Immediate isolation of team members who are under investigation or diagnosed with COVID-19, followed by contact tracing, following CDC and local public health guidelines.

A transition period that allows student-athletes to gradually adapt to full training and sport activity following a period of inactivity.

The SEC became the first conference to end its ban on all sports-related activities that had been extended through May 31.

On Wednesday, the NCAA Council cleared the way for conferences to make their decisions on when to welcome the students back. Practices will still be prohibited.

“Our student athlete wellness group has been working for some time with UF Health officials on a plan to integrate our student athletes back on campus,” UF athletic director Scott Stricklin said in a release. “They have developed a gradual phasing program, so that we don’t have an influx of a large number of student athletes returning at once.

“Our student athletes will be screened and tested through a partnership program with UF Health and our staff has worked with a number of experts to promote a safer environment for the return of our Gator student athletes.”